Disclaimer: All characters belong to Catherine Marshall.

CHAPTER ONE

THE morning was heralded by a pair of songbirds just outside of my rough-hewn window. Winter was finally easing out of the Cove and an endless one it had first appeared to be. I had relished the bejeweled landscapes, the surprising spectrum of colors found in the pristine white of the snow-capped scenery. The sights had been breathtaking and a pure rejuvenation for the soul, but I would not miss the mind-numbing cold and the heartbreak of my students steadfastly trekking barefoot through the snow.

Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, I had been shocked at the living conditions of these indomitable mountain people. I had finished college the previous year, 1912, and though the plight of the poor was not a new concept—I simply had not realized that such poverty existed so close to home. Miss Alice had commented that I had been raised in an ivory tower, like herself, and honestly—she was quite right.

I have been here in Cutter Gap for several months, but it felt like a lifetime since I had naively left my comfortable home in Asheville to teach. I had eventually said goodbye to my dear family after hearing about the Mission, to forge my way into the world and declare independence, searching for adventure, and along the way, what exactly I was meant for.

Well, I had found a little more adventure than I had bargained for—but my heart was full.

I will always be thankful for Miss Alice's quiet patience and wisdom. If not for her, I might have given up in the beginning. The children were as dear to me as ever, but that is not to say that our relationship had not been difficult from the very first day. The mischief—and in a few cases—the blatant spitefulness, as well as the lack of teaching supplies, had been a few of the trials. I had not been able to fathom how one teacher could teach almost seventy students without at least the most basic tools. We had had very little in the way of books to speak of, much less textbooks. But I was stubborn, you know, and finding a resourcefulness inside of myself that I had not known was there.

Howsoever much I tried to explain the quality of the Cove in my letters home to my parents, words never could quite express the depth of my feelings. The sincerity of the children combined with the unrestrained beauty of these mountains and mountaineers alike had gotten under my skin unlike nothing else.

Well. There was certainly someone who had managed to get under my skin in an entirely different manner. Dr. Neil MacNeill. That man! I exhaled a loud burst of air and jumped up out of bed in a restless bound. Would he never cease to puzzle me? To infuriate me? Am I always to be tormented by his condescending brow?

The tall highlander confused me no end and I quickly pushed all thoughts of him out of my mind.

My eyes settled on the ring resting alone on the simple bedside table, and one of my fingers reached out to touch it gently. David was so dear to me, but in being honest with myself, I had to admit that he puzzled me as well. I was touched by his proposal, but it had not escaped my attention that I was the only eligible lady near his age in this wild land.

With a shake of my head, I began preparing for my day. There was simply too much to get done to sit here puzzling over a suitor like a self-absorbed belle. As I was arranging my hair before the cracked mirror, Ruby Mae poked her head in.

"Teacher! Whatever is keepin' ye? I helpt Miss Ida w' breakfast this morning and tis nearly ready." Ruby Mae paused and her eyes widened as she studied the circles under my eyes. "Why shorely, Teacher, you look like you slept nary a wink!"

Ruby Mae stared at me in her earnest way, and I smiled halfheartedly in return. "Thank you, Ruby Mae. Not to worry, I slept just fine. I'm nearly finished and I'll be down shortly. Is there coffee this morning?"

Ruby Mae nodded her fiery head. "Yes'm. Sugar, too! Ain't it a pure mercy?"

I smiled and stood, adjusting my hair with a last pin and then squared my shoulders, ready to meet the brand new day.

It would take more strength than I had quite realized.

"Waalll, howdy, teacher! Bonnie mornin', innit?" Sam Houston greeted me enthusiastically before class officially started.

I was sorting through a few homework boards before handing them back, and he managed to make me jump. I suppose I was still a bit on edge. My hand flew to my heart, but I recovered very quickly and smiled warmly at dear, tow-headed Sam Houston. He was a sprightly one. "Good morning, Sam Houston. Do you have your homework ready to review?"

Sam nodded, bobbing his whole head, nearly losing his hat. He placed his small chalkboard on top of the current stack and reached out and held onto the edges of the small desk. He peered at me, his eyes growing. "Wha's tha' ya done, Teacher? You look plumb tuckered out. Day haven' even got'n raised yet."

I bit my lip and tried not to laugh. "Oh, never you mind, Sam Houston. Please take your seat."

I stood and smoothed a few stray papers on my desk before me, then approached the blackboard at the front of the room. "Good morning, class. I do hope that all of you have had a good weekend. I have quite a bit in store for us this week—" I frowned at the tall boy at the back of the room. Lundy was leaning against the open doorway, his arms crossed, looking anywhere but at me. "Mr. Taylor, please find your way to your seat. Now then, Holt, would you please stand and lead us in the pledge of allegiance? Zady, I would like you to lead us in a few songs afterwards this morning. Alright then, on your feet."

The morning passed frightfully fast. I was so thankful for my Junior Teachers, they were worth their weight in gold ten times over. We spent a great deal of the morning going over what had been taught the previous week, since it was Monday, and I was intensely proud of how everyone was coming along.

"It's lovely outside, how about a treat? We'll have an extra fifteen minutes outside for your lunch break."

Excited chatter broke out around the classroom and I shooed them all out the door with a smile.

I walked with the younger children for a few minutes and then approached the steps of the school and sat down carefully, dusting the step off first. Little Lulu Spencer came and sat next to me, Mountie not far behind.

Across the green a bit, a few of the girls were playing with a homemade jump rope together. The children really were a sweet sight. Their worn dresses and bare feet danced on the cool grass, swaying here to there.

Bessie Coburn and Ruby Mae swung the rope gently left and right as they sang the first several verses with Zady and Lizette, all of their voices harmonizing.

"Down in the valllley
Where the green grass grows
There sat lil' Missy
Sweet as a rose.
Along came o' Billie-boy
And kissed her on the cheek—"

I shook my head and sighed, but not without a small smile. I still hadn't been able to convince any of the girls that it was best to leave boys til much later.

"How many kisses waaall she get?"

Suddenly Zady jumped in and the rope started swinging over her head.

"One, two, three, four—"The girls giggled and held each other's hands while switching turns and starting over.

I turned to Mountie at my side and nudged her a bit, prompting a giggle. I chatted with the two little girls while I tried to keep an eye on the boys. Most of them were playing an enthusiastic game of freeze tag. The few difficult, older boys were gathered around the huge oak tree, the three of them leaning against the trunk, their heads tipped towards each other as they talked about who knows what. I was glad that they weren't playing any pranks on anyone at the moment, though.

"I'm a get'n me some more water, Teacher," Lulu stood up and declared in her low, soft voice. "I donno why, but I's got a mighty thirst."

I chuckled and tapped her on the nose. "Please do, then, Lulu. Mountie, would you like a drink?"

Mountie shrugged and shaded her eyes from the sun. "Ahh, tha's alrigh', I'm brimmin' jus' now."

Lulu traipsed off slowly, swinging her chubby little arms. I stretched my arms and my legs forward, and then sat properly again. I was just thinking that it was about time to get back to class when I noticed David walking up the hill towards us in the distance.

A smile lit up my face and I waved. Mountie and several of the kids waved as well, calling out welcome. David tipped his hat up a bit and as he got closer, he boomed, "Hooo there, everyone!"

The sun was friendly today. I shielded my eyes and stood up, subtly smoothing out my skirt with my free hand. David neared and I looked up at him, smiling. "Hello, David. Anything the matter?"

David's brows drew together and he shook his head, giving a deep chuckle. "No, nothing's the matter, Miss Glass-Is-Half-Empty." I huffed halfheartedly and he continued, "I wanted to clean out the potbelly stove before Latin lessons, since it looks like the weather is finally going to hold up for good."

"Ah." I fell in step beside him til we reached the door and then I let him go inside while I called for all of the children to gather their pails and return to their seats.

I stood by the door, on the outside, waiting for everyone to come in. I patted a few shoulders and ruffled a few heads of hair as they trudged in, their faces a mile long. I hid a smile as I trailed behind little Lulu, the last one to walk inside. She had been sitting near the well, sipping from her cup and playing with a bit of grass before she got up.

She was walking quite slow, even for her short legs, and I bent down and walked with her, my hands on her shoulders. "Are you alright, Lulu? You're awfully flush." My hand reached up and grazed her bangs, feeling her forehead, and I tried not to jump. She was burning up. It was a shock to my fingers how hot her forehead felt.

"Yes'm," Lulu murmured slowly, her voice sounding tired.

We reached her desk and I knelt down beside her as she sat down. Worry lines creased my forehead and I smoothed her bangs away from her eyes, then tucked her hair behind her ears. Her face was pale except for two very red spots on her cheeks.

"David, would you mind coming here?" I asked, feeling her forehead and cheeks again, and then I asked her if I could feel her back.

She just closed her eyes and leaned her head into one of her hands, and nodded a tiny fraction.

David was soon at my side. He gently felt her forehead, bending over, and talked quietly to her, asking a few questions, searching for other symptoms.

Ruby Mae was in a desk two rows behind Lulu and I stood and met her as she started to stand. She was very used to helping me out; it seemed she knew I was going to ask her a favor. "Ruby Mae, would you please go to the Mission and find Miss Alice? Be sure and let her know that Lulu has a high fever and anything she could bring to bring it down would be much appreciated."

Ruby Mae nodded, her gaze serious, and headed towards the door, her skirts lifted slightly in her hands.

I turned to David for a second. "I'm going to get her some wet cloths and her cup of water, perhaps that will help a bit." I addressed the rest of the class, "Would all of you please mind yourselves and do any schoolwork that you have on hand? I'll be right back."

I hurried to my desk and opened the drawer and took out two of my handkerchiefs. As I passed Lulu, who was leaning quietly on her desk, her head laid over on her arms, my eyes met David's and he nodded at me, his brows drawn together.

I walked sedately until I reached the bottom of the steps, and then I raced for the well. My hands felt a little trembly as I filled up her cup and wet the handkerchiefs and wrung them out. There was a medium-sized, clean Mason jar near the side of the well and I thoroughly rinsed it out a few times, just in case, and filled it up. I hurried back inside, my mind spinning as I raced up the steps. I wasn't sure what was wrong with Lulu, exactly, but with fever, there was always a chance that she could be contagious. I decided to let the rest of the kids go outside, as long as they were quiet, and to leave my Junior Teachers in charge of keeping order.

As I held one of the handkerchiefs over her forehead and gently placed the other on the back of her neck as she continued to lay her head down on her desk sideways, now tucked up on both of her arms, I let the class know the news. "Okay, class, I am going to allow you to go back outside and play—quietly—while I try to bring Lulu's fever down a bit." There was a collective exhale of smothered glee, and I eyed them all as sternly as I could. "All of my Junior Teachers are in charge. You are to all stay in the front yard and I don't want to hear any screaming or carrying on. One more thing, if you feel unwell at all, please do let me know immediately. Alright, you're dismissed. Go on, then."

I smiled at them and caught the eye of all of my Junior Teachers, and they nodded at me, their expressions serious. Zady and John Spencer moved against the tide, heading towards their little sister, Lulu, instead of marching out the doorway.

Zady sat in the desk next to her sister and John knelt down by Lulu, feeling her forehead and cheeks while she rested. Lulu's eyes opened a bit, very heavy with fatigue, and she smiled at her brother. "Hey." Her voice sounded hoarse.

"Here," Zady helped Lulu sit up and sip water out of her cup. Her eyes still wanted to close, and after a minute, she was drinking it with her eyes fully closed, her cheeks an even deeper red than before.

John was talking quietly to David, and I listened silently as I gently stroked Lulu's hair.

John said, "We'll need to be careful, Doc doesn't think she needs to have any more seizures—"

David cut in. "When—how many has she had? Why does she get them?"

John tipped his chin down and shrugged his bony shoulders. "She's had a few. Started when she was a babe; 'bout scared us plumb to death. Doc called them something, though I cain't rightly recollect what. It happens when she ge's real hot, like now. If'n yah don't mind, Teacher, I'd best be runnin' for the doc."

A/N: Thank you for reading! I apologize that it's on temporary hiatus. If anyone would like to pick up where I left off, that would be perfectly fine! But please let me know, so that I can enjoy reading it! :)

The rhyme is an old one for jumping rope that I altered just a bit.